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False Memories
The US legal system
places a lot of importance on eyewitness memory. Most people would report
that they can accurately convey what they saw in a particular situation.
However, these ideas are not supported by research. Instead, research shows
that memory is quite malleable and is affected by many factors. This research
repeatedly demonstrates that people do not remember exactly what they
experienced. This module’s experiment will show you firsthand how memory for
events is not always one hundred percent accurate.
Access the CogLab
demonstration False Memory. Follow the instructions to complete the
demonstration to familiarize yourself with false memory. Then locate at least
one research study from a peer-reviewed journal that examined how eyewitness
memory can be affected by false memories.
Based on your
research, respond to the following situation:
You are considered to
be an expert in false memories, and a local district attorney has therefore
requested your expertise on the following case:
On Tuesday, March 6,
2007, a bank was robbed in Slidell, LA. It was just after opening time, 9:04
a.m., and there were barely any customers, when a car arrived and parked in
the side parking lot of the bank. Two men came out of the car and walked to
the entrance. Both wore dark clothing. Upon entering the bank, they held out
guns and asked for the manager. When the manager identified herself, the
smaller of the two robbers ordered her to open the safe. Meanwhile, the other
robber, a tall, and burley man, walked around holding his gun in his
outstretched arm, and threatening the remaining employees and customers. The
manager complied and the smaller robber collected all the money and valuables
from the safe. After five minutes, the big robber asked if his companion was
ready to go. When he was, the two ran back to their car, and drove away.
The district attorney
has asked that you create a presentation about false memory and explain how
it might influence this case. He asks that you specifically address the
following:
- Describe false memory and false memory experiments.
Use the CogLab experiment to illustrate false memory experiments,
special distracters, and normal distracters.
- Describe at least one research study from a
peer-reviewed journal that investigated how eyewitness memory can be
affected by false memories.
- Explain how false memory might influence this
particular case. Use specifics from the description of the case, the
CogLab experiment, and research to support your answer.
- Using evidence from the case, the CogLab experiment,
and outside research, justify why eyewitness testimonies should or
should not carry weight in criminal proceedings.
- Discuss any procedures which can increase or reduce
the occurrence of false memories when reporting eyewitness events.
Remember, your
presentation is designed to help the jury understand false memory and how it
might influence the eyewitness testimony of this case. You will have ten
minutes to present.
Since this is a legal
case, you must include formally written slide notes (proper grammar, proper
paragraphs, APA formatting, and academic tone) with research to support your
claims. The presentation will be a legal document in this case, so make it
worthy of being legally binding!
Develop an 5–6-slide
presentation in PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of
sources. Use the following file naming convention:
LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.ppt.
By Wednesday,
September 28, 2016, deliver your assignment to the M3: Assignment 2
Dropbox.
Course Project Grading
Criteria and Rubric
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Assignment 2 Grading
Criteria
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Maximum Points
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Describe false
memory and false memory experiments. Use the CogLab experiment to
illustrate false memory experiments, special distracters, and normal
distracters.
(Course Objective [CO] 1)
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28
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Describe at least
one research study from a peer-reviewed journal that investigated how
eyewitness testimony can be affected by false memory.
(CO 2)
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28
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Explain how false
memory might influence this particular case. Use specifics from the
description of the case, the CogLab experiment, and research to support
your answer.
(CO 3)
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32
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Using evidence from
the case, the CogLab experiment, and outside research, justify why
eyewitness testimonies should or should not carry weight in criminal
proceedings.
(CO 3)
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36
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Discuss any
procedures which can increase or reduce the occurrence of false memories
when reporting eyewitness events.
(CO 2, CO 3)
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32
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Presentation
Components:
Organization (12)
Style (12)
Usage and Mechanics (16)
APA Elements (4)
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44
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Total:
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200
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